Two restaurants in central Bangalore operating as illegal dance bars were raided by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) police in Bangalore on Thusrday night.

As many as 169 persons who were employed or customers at the two bars were arrested and 64 women employed as bar girls were rescued, the CCB police said. The Royal Casino restaurant in Gandhinagar and the Silver Spoon restaurant in Sampangiramanagar were found operating in violation of rules and regulations including dress codes for its employees and were provoking customers to pick up women working at the bars, police said.

At the Royal Casino bar a total of 36 bar women were rescued and the bar owner BM Srinivas, 11 staff members and 51 customers were arrested in the raid. At the Silver Spoon bar and restaurant 28 women were rescued while 27 staff members and 39 customers were arrested.

The bar owner D Venkatesh, the entertainment organiser Sunil and two others were absconding the police claimed.